Rail-support.



RAIL SUPPORT.

. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1907.

Patented '00:. 6, 1908.

THE. NUNHiS nzrzns COq'WASHINGTDN. uvn

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE M. COTE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD STEEL TIE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BAIL-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application'filed July 27, 1907. Serial No. 385,896.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE M. com, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburg, in thecountyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Rail-Supports, of which the following is a specificatlon.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway appliances, consisting especially of means for securing rails to cross ties or other supports and to each other at their abutting ends.

I provide a new and improved form of rail fastener or clamp which is readily adapted for use with rails which are to be insulated from the ties in connection with electric signals. I also provide yielding or flexible connection between the fastener and the tie so that the thrust and strain of passing trains maybe assumed without danger. of fracture orinjury to the appliances. I also show means'for combining in one member an element adapted for use both as a rail fastener to secure the rails to the ties and also as a splice bar or fish plate to secure together abutting rail ends, thus obtaining a much more rigid connection between abutting rails and preventing'the flexing or de ression of rail joints. I also provide means or shifting the rail for the purpose of regaging the track without impairing the insulation or the efficiency of the attachment.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of adjacent rail ends attachedtogether and to the cross ties by my improved fastener and splice bar and also provided with proper insulation for signaling urposes Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of t esame; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the application of my yielding connection to my ad ustable rail fastener patented to me by Letters Patent No. 860,731: Fig. 4 is a partial perspective on an enlargedscale of my tions, but it will be understood that my present invention may be applied equally well to any form of tie.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings, which, however, are merely illustrative of the practical application of my invention and not intended to limit the same to the construction shown.

11 illustrate metallic ties to which are secured the rails 22.

v In Fig. 1 I show my invention used as a combined rail fastener and splice bar to connect abutting rail ends. Sa1d splice bars or fasteners, 33 consist of a substantially vertical portion, 4, adapted to bear against the under side of the ball of the rail and against the web thereof, an inclined portion 5 adapted to bear a ainst the upper face of the rail base, and a ownwardly extending portion 6 adapted to rest on the top of the ties, clearing the edge of the rail base so that there will be no contact at thatpoint as illustrated in Fig. 2. The portion of the tie on which the rail rests I term the rail platform and mark the same 7.

8-8 are slots or o enings in the top of the tie, one on either si e of the rail platform 7 which is referably somewhat less in width than the f: j with the outer edges of slots 88 are the flanges 99 integral with the tie and reinforcing the top of the tie adjacent to said slots. The splice bars 33 are of sufficient length to span at least two adjacent ties and are provided with integral, L shaped rojections, 1010, which extend throug slots 3-8. The longer arm, 11, of the L is provided with a longitudinally slotted hole 12 through which u Wardly passes a bolt 13 which is provide with an oval portion, 14, of its shank occupying the said slotted hole 12. The surface of the bolt head bearing against the arm-11 is rounded off as at 15 to provide a rocking bearing whereby, in connection with the oval shank and slotted'hole,

bolt. Itis thus evident that when a assing' train moves over the rails the outwar thrust ase of the rail 2, as shown. Flush member.

exerted on the splice bars and fasteners would tend to rock the arms 1111 but said movement would be assumed by the yielding connection between said arm and said bolt without danger of fracture or injury to either arm 11 of the splice bar or fastener will be drawn upwardly, thus forcing the bearing By screwing down the nut 17, the faces 4 and 5 into very close and firm engagement with the rail. If a rigid connection between the arm 11 and the tie were used, the thrust and strain of traflic might tend to rupture or strip the bolt or other connecting member. By downwardlyinclining the upper face of arm 11 toward its outer end, a clearance is provided so that in drawing up said arm, it does not come into contact with the tie top so that all the tension exerted by the bolt is transposed to the other end of the lever member and exerted against the rail itself.

In Fig. 3 I show the rocking or yielding connection between the fastener and the tie, above explained, applied to my 2 shaped rail fasteners covered by Letters Patent NOS. 839,456 and 860,731.

Where the rails are to be insulated for use as part of an electric circuit for signaling purposes, I interpose between the ball, web and upper face of the base of the rail and the pertions 4 and 5 of the splice bar or fastener a sheet or plate of insulating material such as fiber, 20, and between the under surface of the rail base and the rail platform 7 another plate, 21, of such insulating material, thus insulating the rail from splice bar or fastener and tie. Through portions l4 of the splice bars, I provide a series of holes 22-22 registering with the usual holes 2323 through the webs of the rails. 24 represents a tube of insulating material which extends through the holes in the rail and splice bars. The bolts 2525 are inserted in said tubes and their nuts tightened up against the splice bars in the usual manner. It is thus seen that the rails are also insulated from the bolts 2525.

In case the rails 22 are the end rails in adjacent blocks, they must be insulated from each other. To accomplish this I interpose between their abutting ends a plate of insulating material, 26, of similar cross section as the rails, thus breaking the circuit between said rails.

In case it is not desired to insulate the rails 22, the insulation above described may be omitted.

The above describes the adaptation of my fastener to use as a splice bar but it is also adapted to use as a simple fastener to attach the rail to the ties intermediate of its ends. In such case I prefer to form the fastener 8 of the design shown in Figs. 5 and 6 wherein the portions 4 and 5 are of substantially the same width as the l... shaped portions 1011, and the holes 2222 through portion 4 are 0mitted. The same means to insulate the rail from fastener and rail as above described may he used with my simple fastener.

The balls of the rails, after continued use, frequently become so worn as to seriously disturb the track gage so that the rail must be shifted inwardly to compensate for wear and restore the proper gage. The amount of said shift is usually about half an inch. I therefore construct the set of rail fasteners and splice bars engaging the outside of the rail when newly installed about a half inch shorter in the portion 5 than the corresponding members engaging the inside of the rail, as shown in Fig. 2. When the ball of the rail is sufiiciently worn to require shifting to restore the required gage, the fasteners and splice bars are removed and the rail shifted the required degree and the fasteners and splice bars replaced, the shorter fasteners and bars, formerly engaging the outside of the rail, however, being new placed on the inner side of the rail and vice versa, thus permitting an inward shifting of the rail for the required distance.

The advantages of my improved appliances are numerous and evident. Among them may be mentioned, the facility of insulation. The matter of insulation has been. regarded as almost insurmountable in the use of metal ties and has been one of the most urgent objections to their general use. My invention, however, solves the problem. The adaptation of my fasteners and splice bars to regagement of the track is also important, especially so in view of the fact that perfect insulation is not sacrificed in obtaining this function. Again the fasteners and splice bars are in perfect supporting engagement with the ball, web and base of the iail. In the case of the splice bars direct vertical support from the tie to the ball of the rails is obtained so that no vertical flex or bending of the rail ends is possible and a perfect union is maintained even if the bolts securing the bars and rail together become loosened or drop out, owing to the fact that tension is exerted on the arms H by bolts 13- 3 thus clamping the splice bars into close engagement with the rails thus supporting them perfectly, both horizontally and vertically, in proper alinement.

Although I have described with great minuteness the above illustrated application. of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself thereby but claim broadly 1. In rail supports, a member adapted to bear against the rail and provided with an arm adapted to extend. through an aperture in the tie, said arm having a. longitiulinally slotted hole therein, and a bolt secured to said tie and engaging said slotted hole, for the purposes described.

2. In rail supports, a member adapted to bear againstthe rail and provided with an l lo arm adapted to extend through an aperture in the tie, said arm having a longitudinally slotted hole therein, and a bolt upwardly, ex-

tending through said slotted hole and se- 1 cured to said tie. a i

3. In rail supports, a member adapted'to bear against the rail and provided with an arm adapted to extend through an aperture in the tie, said arm having 'a longitudinally slotted hole therein, and a bolt extending upwardly through said slotted hole and also through a loosely fitting holein the top of the tie, for the purposes described. 7

4. In rail supports, a member adapted to bear against the rail and provided with an arm adapted to extend through an aperture in the tie, said arm having a longitudinally slotted hole therein, a bolt having a rounded head extending upwardly through said slotted hole and also through a hole in the top of the tie, for the purposes described.

5. In rail supports, a member adapted to bear against the rail and provided with an arm adapted to extend through an aperture in the tie, said arm having a longitudinally slotted hole therein, a bolt having an oval shank engaging said slotted hole and also engaging a hole in the top of the tie, for the purposes described;

6. In rail support, a member adapted to bear against the rail and provided with an arm adapted to extend through an aperture in the tie, said arm having a longitudinally slotted hole therein, a bolt having a rounded head and .an oval shank extending upwardly through said slotted hole and secured to the top of the tie, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In rail supports, a pair of reversely laced members adapted to bear against the base, Web and ball of the rail on opposite sides of the rail, one of said members being longer than the other whereby the rail may be shifted by reversing the positions of the said members.

Signed at Pittsburg, Pa, this 26th day of July, 1907. i

] GEORGE M. corn.

Witnesses:

J. H. HARRISON, EDWARD A. LAWRENCE. 

